A Michigan teenager has been sentenced to prison for making a false bomb threat against a Carnival cruise ship after becoming upset that his girlfriend and her family went on the trip without him.
Joshua Darrell Lowe, 19, received an eight-month prison sentence on Monday, April 14, for reporting the bogus threat, which prompted Carnival Corp. to conduct a thorough search of over 1,000 cabins on the ship shortly after it departed from Miami in January 2024, according to prosecutors.
Lowe, who was living with his girlfriend and her family in Muskegon County, sent the threat because he was frustrated that they left him behind to care for their pets while they cruised to Jamaica. “FBI agents traced the email address to Lowe, who was living with his girlfriend’s family,” Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler noted in a court filing.
“Lowe admitted he sent the message because he was upset that the family went on the cruise while leaving him behind,” Kessler added. “Anyone making a bomb threat should expect to be taken at his word. Fortunately, this particular hoax did not result in physical injury.”
The fake threat arrived via email in January 2024, stating, “Hey, I think someone might have a bomb on your sunrise cruise ship,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported. The cruise ship, named Sunrise, had just set sail from Miami en route to Jamaica when the threat was received, leading staff to search more than 1,000 rooms.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Jamaican authorities were also involved, escorting the ship to port for safety.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney, Lowe expressed remorse for his actions, writing, “This is all my fault, and I take full responsibility.”
